1. Field
The present disclosure relates to a composition for preventing or improving metabolic syndrome, comprising a tea plant leaf extract, a tea plant flower extract and a tea plant seed extract.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, obesity is increasing because of increased intake of nutrients such as fats, simple sugars, etc. due to westernized eating habits and lack of exercise, leading to accumulation of excess energy in the body. The accumulated energy is stored in the form of triglycerides in adipose tissues. If the excess energy to be stored exceeds the capacity of the adipose tissues, the triglycerides may be accumulated in other tissues such as muscle, liver, etc., leading to lipid dysregulation and lipotoxicity. The fats stored in the tissues are broken down into free fatty acids through lipolysis. The free fatty acids are known to suppress the insulin signal transduction pathway through signaling via JNK, PKC, etc. The suppressed insulin signal transduction pathway inevitably leads to insulin resistance, resulting in increased insulin secretion to compensate for the altered function of insulin. The excessively secreted insulin increases salts, water and fats in the body and stimulates the sympathetic nerve, leading to increased heart rate and constriction of blood vessels, thereby increasing the risk of obesity, high blood sugar, high blood pressure, dyslipidemia (low HDL cholesterol and high triglyceride levels) and metabolic syndrome.